Lummi Nation fishermen will drive a feast of locally caught salmon this weekend all the way to Cannon Ball, N.D., to feed the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and many supporters who are fighting against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

“The tribal fishermen have decided to donate their catch,” said Waylon Ballew, who met up with a handful of fishermen to filet dozens of kings and silvers behind the Lummi Nation Commodity Foods building Wednesday morning, Sept. 28

The group planned to leave Thursday night in vans and head to North Dakota with a few dozen tribal members on board, and the soon-to-be feast packed on ice.

“It’s a traditional teaching among our people to show caring and love by feeding one another and supporting each other when times get rough,” said Josh Phair, one of the people who helped organize the trip. “All of our Lummi people are excited to have the opportunity to give in any way we can.”

“To be able to take what we have here and share it with the rest of the community is something that we’re proud of, something we feel good about,” Ballew said. “Today (Wednesday) we are processing the fish to be able to feed these people who are working really hard to protect our water, protect our rights, because what we know as tribal people is that what happens in one part of Indian Country happens to all the other tribal communities in the United States.”

The issue at hand is not just for indigenous people, Ballew said.

“This is a people issue, it’s a human being issue,” he said.

Hereditary Chief Bill James, who planned to go to North Dakota with the others, said those involved were standing together to remember their ancestors and “to protect the sacred grounds and the ways of our people.”

“We have to protect all things the Creator gave us, especially the water. The water is the giver of life, which gives life to everything,” James said. “We are asking the Creator to stop the black snake to keep our waters pure. We’re standing with the people of Standing Rock to do so.”
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